


Distance

by racheltuckerrr



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Feels, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, S2 timeline but I only kept the things I like so expect some Sanvers and then I guess we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/racheltuckerrr/pseuds/racheltuckerrr
Summary: After the promotion Cat and Kara grow closer and it becomes increasingly difficult for Kara to keep her distance, but at the same time it's never been more important that she does. For more reasons than one.





	1. the best part is falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!  
> So I've had this idea for a longer fic for a while now, and I've finally got up the courage to post the first chapter. I more or less know where I want to take this story, but comments are always welcome and appreciated as this is my first fic for this very important pairing and I'd love to hear your thoughts about whether or not I'm getting their voices right. Or anything you might want to share, really. All mistakes are my own.  
> Let's get this show on the road! X

Kara just finished the last bit of work for the day when she stifled a yawn and stretched her arms high above her head, begrudgingly admitting to herself that even her alien constitution wasn’t enough to keep her from feeling the deep exhaustion settling in her bones. It had been a long, tiresome day and it was time to go home.

She looked up from where she was sitting on Cat’s couch, to see the woman herself behind the desk with her glasses on her nose and her hands braced on the stack of paperwork on top of her desk. She must have dozed off sometime during the gruelling process and Kara couldn’t blame her. Especially not when she considered it a special kind of privilege to be able to witness the other woman in this state. It was well after hours and they were the only two people left on the floor, possibly the entire building, and Kara took pride in the fact that she was the only one the CEO allowed this decidedly more private side of her to see, even if it meant extended office hours.

Kara sighed as she thought about the countless other nights that she’s spent cooped up in this very office in a similar fashion, working alongside the older woman in companionable silence until one of them cracked and they finally called it a day. She was used to this part of her job as the dutiful assistant and she didn’t exactly hate it as most people would expect her to.

Not that it was still her job to do any of that. It wasn’t. And strictly speaking, Cat needing her help wasn’t the real reason she was in her office late at night, instead of at home watching Netflix and eating ridiculous amounts of take-out food. Her boss had a new assistant who might not have been a superhero, but still did an adequate job and should the CEO need any help at all she was readily available. And yet, it has been happening more and more frequently that the two of them found themselves in here, working separately, but side by side, occasionally asking the other for a comment or professional input, pretending that the real reason behind these late nights wasn’t to keep each other company.

Kara smiled, as she remembered the first time, not even two weeks after her promotion, that she found the older woman in her office, waiting for her, in the middle of the work day no less.

She just came back from a super-emergency and was running down the staircase that led from the roof to her office when she realized that her glasses were missing and she cursed quietly under her breath. Thankfully no one was around to witness her identity crisis, and she silently thanked Cat for giving her an out of the way office. She’s often wondered if that had been on purpose, and if so what caused the other woman’s change of heart regarding Kara’s _alleged_ superhero status, but in the end she was just grateful. And a bit frustrated with herself, to be honest. Rao knows how many times she wanted to come clean to the other woman since her promotion, but somehow it was never the right time. _Maybe it never will be_ , Kara thought wistfully.

She sighed, but halted abruptly as she got closer to her office and detected a very familiar heartbeat coming from inside and suddenly she was face to face with the woman herself, sitting behind Kara’s desk delicately holding her damn glasses like they were the answer to all her prayers. And Kara was already coming up with a half-assed excuse in her mind when she realized that the familiar panic she usually felt at the possibility of being exposed was absent, so she closed the door behind her quietly, and met Miss Grant’s gaze head on. What she saw in those eyes made Kara’s heart leap in a way that even flying around this city she loved so much hadn’t in a while. She didn’t exactly know what to expect from her boss anymore, regarding the super-sized not-so-secret between them, but this unassuming acceptance plainly displayed in the other woman’s gaze certainly wasn’t it. There was no malice there, no calculation, no journalistic intent and absolutely no expectations. Which was, well, _interesting_.

Even though they’ve come a long enough way since that night when Cat first confronted her on the CatCo balcony that Kara dared hope that the fallout wouldn’t be as bad as the first time around, understandably some doubts still lingered. She hoped that Cat understood her reasons, even when she wasn’t sure she always understood them herself. Hiding her true self has become second nature to her because it started way before she saved the plane Alex was on and became the hero of National City. But then again, in a way, she hasn’t been hiding from Cat in a long time now. She just wasn’t exactly truthful either.

It was a little disconcerting to realize, but Kara had to admit that for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sure where they stood. And not in the is-this-the-day-she-finally-fires-me kinda way, because that, albeit a scary prospect at the time, was part of the reason she felt cemented in her relationship with her boss and her place in the world. Or, at least among the walls of CatCo. For more than two years she was the _Keira_ to Miss Grant’s CEO and her place was clear as day. These days, not so much. So much has changed that Kara feels her head spin, but maybe not every change has to be a bad thing. Maybe it was a good thing that they were on more of an equal footing even if it meant feeling herself through the dark for a while. It was uncharted territory in every sense of the word and in a way Kara had no idea what to do with.

“So...” Kara broke the silence after she sat down across from the older blonde, stretching the word out between them like a peace offering, hoping that it would be enough to fill the uncertain spaces between them. That for once in her life, _she_ would be enough.

“So…” Cat replied, accepting her olive branch with a familiar eye-roll and a much harder to come by smile while turning the glasses over in her hands, eyes never leaving Kara’s, holding nothing but warmth and acceptance. It was a lot to take in, even for someone with supersenses, but it was nothing compared to the admission that followed.

“I actually came here to invite you to lunch,” the CEO said, eyes sparkling.

“Y-you…you d-did?” Kara stammered excitedly, everything else momentarily forgotten at the prospect of food.

“Well, not exactly.” At Kara’s curious gaze she adds more softly, “I came here to get away from all the noise. You see, my employees somehow decided that they would all dedicate this day to pestering me about something or other,” there was a flick of a wrist accompanying the tirade that Kara was thoroughly acquainted with and that told her that despite the seemingly perfectly collected armour, her boss was actually quite nervous. Of course, she kept that information, as well as her other carefully collected and intimately well-versed knowledge of Cat, closely guarded and strictly to herself. That didn’t mean she couldn’t use it to her advantage though.

“…and my new assistant doesn’t have a _clue_ when to break out the Advil, which at this point should be every two seconds, and she still hasn’t managed to get my latte right, not even once! O _nce_ , Kara. And I just…” she never actually finished the thought, even though Kara had a fleeting feeling that there might have been more to it than what she was letting on, and judging by the little shake of her boss’ head she was right. Before she could dwell on that though, the older woman met her gaze once more, “and it’s peaceful in here. Quiet.”

“You’re welcome to hide out here from your annoying employees any day, Miss Grant.” The older woman made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat, but Kara could see the gratitude in those hazel eyes directed at her. Gratitude for _her_ , Kara hoped, not just a tranquil office space.

“Anyway, now that I’m here…lunch?”

“I could go for some Chinese right about now,” Kara said, not missing a beat. “I’m pretty hungry,” she added looking at the other woman closely for any particular reaction.

“Mhm. I bet,” Cat said nonchalantly, finally letting go of the glasses and setting them down in front of her former assistant, and Kara realized that she was just given a perfect opening for the conversation she was desperate to have with the woman sitting across from her.

But just as she was gearing up to confess it all, the other woman interrupted her. “It’s alright,” Cat said quietly, “you don’t _have_ to say anything, you know.”

Kara was about to speak, but Cat held up a finger and she fell silent again. “I understand now. I do. And it’s not like you owe me, in any way...” Another vague hand gesture followed that made Cat’s silver bracelets clutter noisily around her slender wrists, “if anything, it’s probably the other way around.”

“Miss Grant…”

“What have I told you about that?”

“Right…um. _Cat_. I don’t want you to think that this is only because you caught me. Again. I…I wanted to tell, like really, properly tell you, so many times I just…didn’t know _how_.”

“You don’t have to _tell_ me anything, Kara. It’s a bit after the fact at this point.”

“Yes, but you know what I mean,” Kara sighed, and started to unbutton the top of her shirt. “I don’t want to hide this from you anymore, not even for appearances’ sake,” she finished just in time to reveal her family crest, sitting proudly in the middle of her chest. She could hear Cat’s breath hitch at the sight clearly, even without her super hearing.

“I trust you, Cat. I need you to know that it’s never been about that,” Kara admitted, hoping to convey the sincerity of that statement.

Cat swallows hard, emotions suddenly welling up without her consent. “What was it about then?”

“I…” Kara fidgets nervously, redoing her buttons quickly and finally reaching for her glasses to put them on her nose before looking up into those hazel eyes again. This was a question she asked herself often enough. The answer, on the other hand was a lot more complicated.

It wasn’t about the fear of having her identity exposed, that much she knew. Well maybe at first, but they’ve long since passed the point where she expected that to happen. Then there was the previously made threat of losing her job, which would have hit Kara hard if it were to happen, but she was hoping that enough time has passed to change Cat’s mind on the matter and it wouldn’t come to that. Or even if it did, maybe she could negotiate some kind of part-time deal between the cape and the pen. But that wasn’t it either, not really.

And despite her insistence on using them to cover herself when the situation called for it, in her heart Kara knew that neither answer she managed to come up with was covering the whole truth. Maybe because she’s starting to realise that she probably couldn’t afford the whole truth anymore, not when it came to Cat. And definitely not out loud and to the woman herself.

If she was being completely honest, it wasn’t really the _why_ that mattered, it was the _who_. And that in itself was a scarier prospect than Kara liked to admit. Plenty of people knew her identity and while it took some courage to reveal that part of herself to yet another person, it shouldn’t feel this crucial or this heavy. Theoretically, Kara knew that this all-encompassing feeling of vulnerability that was plaguing her in these moments wouldn’t necessarily come from someone knowing she was Supergirl. But then again Cat wasn’t just anyone. She was the one person who saw Kara even when she was doing her damnedest to be unseen. If this last barrier was removed between them, there would be no going back and that’s what Kara was really afraid of. But then again times were changing, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to change with them. In the end she settled for another half-truth, but at least it was one she could own entirely.

“There is a certain amount of danger in knowing my identity, knowing _me_ , really. I had no right to put you, not to mention Carter, in that position. Not even if it meant keeping things from you, which, for the record, I really didn’t enjoy.”

“Well, you weren’t doing a very good job,” Cat remarked dryly. “And I can decide for myself what is and isn’t worth taking a risk for.” The _you are_ went without saying, but they both heard it clearly in the way Cat was looking at her now. It wasn’t like anything major had just changed between them, it was barely an acknowledgement of what was already there, and yet it felt like more. It felt like a promise.

Kara cleared her throat before raising her head again, smile as bright as the sun firmly back in place. “So…lunch?”

 

* * *

 

That was a little over a month ago, and somehow it still seemed unreal because while in the grand scheme of things it didn’t really change anything, somehow it changed… _everything_. Since then they’ve settled into this rhythm where they never went more than a few days without finding an excuse to put their heads together on some project, even if Kara wasn’t under Cat’s professional supervision anymore, strictly speaking. The funny thing was, it never really was about the work, more the space that they shared. Either in Kara’s out of the way office, or out on Cat’s balcony or on her couch, usually after hours, they somehow always gravitated towards each other. Even as Supergirl, Kara made a point to visit Cat more frequently than before, and she certainly didn’t seem to mind.

At least Kara hoped that was the case, that it wasn’t just in her head. She knew she missed the other woman, now that she wasn’t required to be in daily contact with her, pathetic as it may sound since they still saw each other all the time, even if it wasn’t quite the same. And yet, the feeling of longing only intensified as she laid eyes on Cat’s sleep-wrinkled face across the room. The young hero allowed herself a moment to just take her in and catalogue every tiny detail, from the small frown between those delicate eyebrows to the way her golden hair fell over her face in slightly frazzled waves.

She was so beautiful, even now, and Kara was reminded of watching the sun set on Krypton, the red star ducking down under the horizon to paint the sky a most magnificent shade of crimson, casting its glory all across the land even as it was saying goodbye. _Dhiviao_ , she thought, the Kryptonese word floating into her mind unbidden, describing the scene perfectly. It happened more and more these days that the woman in front of her reminded her of her home planet in some way, which was as thrilling a thought as it was scary. Kara wondered fleetingly if Cat would agree to be painted by her if she ever asked, and shivered even at the slight possibility of the answer being yes.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of it, she focused instead on the task at hand. She quickly texted Cat’s driver to come and take her home before she stood up to wake her sleeping boss. Truth be told, all Kara wanted to do was wrap the woman up in her arms where she knew Cat would be safe and fly her home to her penthouse, even if she knew she’d never hear the end of it from Alex when she undoubtedly coaxed it out of Kara. Now that the cat was out of the bag it wasn’t so easy to push these thoughts down as before. It was both exhilarating and terrifying and Kara felt astonishingly out of her depth.

“Cat, wake up,” Kara took one small hand and smoothed her fingers down the inside of her wrist, and to her surprise the other woman’s immediate response was to curl her fingers around Kara’s for half a second before letting go. It made Kara’s skin tingle for a _long_ time.

“It’s time to go home. Carter must be missing you.”

“He better,” Cat groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. “He’s currently touring Europe with his father and wife number three,” she explained between yawns, voice still scratchy from sleep.

 _That explains why you’re in here working late_ , Kara thought. _Again_.

“I thought I told you to go home,” Cat said accusingly, her glasses barely hanging on her nose by a thread, and maybe it would have been frightening if it wasn’t so damn adorable.

“I didn’t have anything to look forward to either. I guess it was just nice…to have company.”

Cat’s eyes softened at the confession. “Well, the feeling’s mutual. But you really should go home, Kara. Tomorrow is another day and I hear your new boss is almost as much of a hardass as the old one.”

“ _Impossible_ ,” Kara chuckled softly at the cheeky tone. “Snapper’s got nothing on you, Cat” she added, not unkindly, the soft delivery turning the otherwise snarky comment into more of an affectionate banter.

She took her bag and turned to leave, but not before wishing Cat a good night and reminding her that her driver was probably already waiting for her in the parking lot.

The last thing she heard as she headed to the elevator was an incredibly soft and quiet “ _Goodnight, darling_.”

And that somehow made all the extra hours worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The word 'dhiviao' means glory, magnificence, majesty or something along those lines, in Kryptonian. Basically, divine, which I think is a perfect description of Cat, in any language.


	2. call it anything but love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long overdue Danvers sister night takes place, as well as another late night chat between our leading ladies. And...so it begins.

“So, how’s Maggie? What’s going on with you guys?” Kara asked before snatching the last bit of pizza up and away from her sister with superspeed, and unapologetically stuffing it in her mouth. Alex knew better than to do anything but throw her arms up in defeat at this point. “I feel like I don’t know anything, we haven’t done sister night in…over a _month_!”

“And whose fault is that, Miss junior reporter by day, life-saving hero by night, hmm?” Alex teased, but before Kara could pull out the world-famous pout she quickly added, “no, I know, we have to do better. Both of us,” she added seriously.

“And Maggie is…she’s _amazing_! We’re great. It’s…well it’s not something I’ve ever had before. This whole...happy…couple… _thing_. I mean it’s wonderful, but it’s going to take some getting used to on my part. The only person I’ve ever been this open with before is you, and you’re my _sister._ We’re family. But Maggie is…she’s…”

“Special?” Kara supplied helpfully. Alex nodded.

“Different?” Another nod, but Kara apparently wasn’t done. “But in a good way?”

“She makes you feel like…like you wanna know everything there is to know about her down to the smallest details,” _like how she takes her coffee in the morning, what tone of voice signals a good day ahead or the one that means ‘prepare for disaster’, which frown means exhaustion instead of irritation, which smile is fake and which one means she’s genuinely happy to see you_ , Kara listed mentally before she could stop her wandering mind, “…and at the same time it’s like you’ve known each other forever, because she understands you like no one else does? And maybe…maybe you want her to know everything…about you too?” Kara bites her lip, no longer able to stop herself. “And not just the good stuff. Even if it means opening yourself up like you’ve never done before, even if it ultimately makes you more vulnerable than you’ve ever been with another person…” she trails off when she realises what she's doing, but it’s already too late. It’s probably been too late for a while now.

But there’s still that ghost of a chance that Alex might let this go and let her be. Kara thinks that maybe, just maybe, if she concentrates really hard, Rao will hear her and grant the last daughter of Krypton this one tiny request, just this _one_. Just…

“We’re not talking about Maggie anymore, are we?”

_So much for ancient gods._

“Kara,” Alex takes her silence as an invitation to get to the bottom of her newfound mystery and Kara wrecks her brain desperately to come up with a way to steer the conversation back to her sister’s love life instead of her own. Or literally any other topic in the known universe. And beyond. “This isn’t still about James, is it?”

“No!”

“Or…” Alex lowers her voice to a whisper like she’s afraid to get caught saying something incredibly stupid, “... _Mon-El_?”

“Oh, God no!” Kara spits out her drink that she had taken up as a shield earlier against whatever onslaught was sure to be coming her way. _Which was not unlike something Cat would do_ , flashed through her mind before she dismissed the thought for the moment, tucking it away to ponder later, in favour of dealing with her current predicament.

“Oh, thank God,” Alex rushed out, _relieved_ , as if there was an actual threat of what she way suggesting ever becoming reality. “Talk to me, sis.”

“I…there’s nothing to talk about, Alex.”

“Doesn’t feel like nothing. Not with _that_ look on your face,” Alex keeps prodding, making Kara more uncomfortable by the minute. “Kara, you can tell me anything, you know that.” _It’s time to change the strategy_ , she thinks, hoping to put a stop to the well-meaning interrogation.

“Okay. So once again…you’re right,” Kara allowed, rolling her eyes. Thankfully, Alex refrains from performing her little victory dance in the interest of letting Kara speak. _This time_. 

“It’s _not_ nothing…on my part, at least. But…I’m not ready…to talk about this yet,” Kara whispered, looking away. She really wasn’t. “With anyone,” she’s quick to assure her sister. "I hope you understand.”

For a moment Alex looks like she doesn’t, but then her shoulders sag in something akin to defeat, or at least an emotion with a similar heaviness hanging around it, and she sighs out an “I do” because she really, really does. After everything that happened last month, and with the recent addition of Maggie in her life, she can appreciate Kara’s need for a little privacy. At least, for the time being.

“Kara, it’s okay,” she says gently, reaching over to squeeze her super sister’s arm to emphasize her point, hoping that it’s enough to settle the nerves so clearly displayed on Kara’s otherwise perfect face. “And whatever it is, just know that when you _are_ ready, I’m here for you. Just like you’ve always been there for me,” Alex finishes by opening her arms for her sister who gratefully sinks into them. Because no matter how strong she is on this planet, how powerful an icon to the people of National City and maybe this entire world, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of her big sister’s arms around her to make Kara feel as safe as she does in that exact moment.

She releases a tired breath, because not having to talk about her jumbled feelings is a relief, but her chest still feels heavy with the weight of all that’s contained inside. And she loves her sister more than anything, knows that Alex would always accept her, no matter what, but somehow she doubts that the same curtesy extends to Cat as well.

And speaking of. Her phone lights up with a text and she grabs it off the coffee table before Alex can get a look at who it’s from.

_“Need you to find me a new assistant ASAP.”_

_Well that didn’t last long_ , Kara thinks, her face wrinkling in that little space between her eyebrows where her scar is, as she wonders what might have gone wrong this time around. She doesn’t have to wait long to find out.

_“Stop frowning so hard, it’s audible. Annabelle whatshername spilled her tasteless cold latte on one of my designer shirts for the last time today. I’m serious, Kara.”_

The hero has to bite her cheek to keep from chuckling out loud at the comment that is so uniquely Cat, acutely aware that Alex is watching her closely. She probably picked up on more than she let on, but didn’t comment which was more than okay with Kara. She excused herself to the kitchen under the guise of making some tea, and quickly typed out a reply to the woman who’s occupied her thoughts for the better part of the last few weeks. Month. _Months_.

_“Well then RIP_ Amelia _, I guess. Don’t worry, I’ll have your new victim of the week by Monday.”_

After the kettle has been on for a minute or two and still no witty reply came, Kara started wondering if she’d overstepped. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. Yes, they were growing closer, more so than ever before, but maybe this was over the line. She scrambled for her phone to attempt an apology.

_“Was that too much? I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that.”_

The reply was immediate.

_“It’s not you.”_ The three dots indicated that Cat wasn’t done yet, but the second reply wasn’t as quick as before and Kara could easily imagine the other woman hesitating over whether or not to send the next text.

As Cat’s assistant, she had figured out long ago that sometimes the best strategy with the woman was to just let her figure things out in her own time, so as not to upset the delicate balance or worse, do something that would make her withdraw altogether. So she waited, and eventually her patience paid off.

_“I miss Carter.”_

Oh.

“ _What can I do?_ ” she typed out quickly, without a second thought, her fingers already dancing across her phone screen before she even registered her brain giving permission to do so.

Part of Kara felt like she knew exactly what she wanted to do, but she was trying to concentrate very hard on tamping that urge down, no matter how insistent, at least until she got confirmation that it was alright to feel that way.

She wouldn’t assume, not with Cat. Not when every interaction was already laced with so much uncertainty, so much subtext with all that was being unsaid. Every single line exchanged between them had a double meaning in Kara’s mind, and a single well-placed kick of designer high heels, figuratively speaking of course, would be enough to knock her completely off balance with how unsteady her legs were these days. So it really wouldn’t do to assume that just because she was so ready to jump –

“ _If you happen to be free, I wouldn’t mind the company_.”

Head first and damn the consequences it is then.

“Alex?” she called for her sister who was, by some miracle, still waiting patiently in the living room.

“Yeah,” came the reply, and with it, so did Alex. She leaned into the kitchen counter and peered up at Kara expectantly, the corners of her eyes crinkling in a knowing smirk that was all too familiar. Maybe Alex knew more than Kara was giving her credit for. It wouldn’t be the first time, but Kara was pretty secure in the knowledge that she still had a few secrets of her own to surprise her frighteningly observant big sister with.

“Can the DEO spare me for a few hours?”

“I’m guessing sister night is over?”

“Sorry. Something came up and... I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” Kara was fairly sure she would have to endure Alex’s taste in Netflix shows for some time to come, but it would be worth it if she could make Cat feel better about being away from her son tonight. She didn’t have the energy or the will to question why the other woman’s well-being was so crucial to Kara’s own that she knowingly submitted herself to future punishment in the form of a Scandal marathon.

“You can make it up to me by telling me about” Alex waggled her eyebrows suggestively for effect, “ _Mystery Guy_.”

So she wasn’t such an open book after all. Oh, and the irony of it all. Kara felt something suspiciously like déjà vu as another scene not unlike this one floated into her mind’s eye, with the notable difference of their positions being mirrored. Kara was reminded once again, about how poorly she had reacted when Alex was probably making the hardest admission of her entire life. And Kara had trampled all over it, i her haste to try and understand while not being very reassuring in the least. It’s a good thing she made up for it afterwards. But this was Alex. If there ever was one person Kara could try being brave with and still be secure in the knowledge that she would always land on her feet, it was her sister.

“Alex. It’s…”

“I know, I know –“

“…not a guy.”

“ _Oh_.” Kara watched the brunette’s face rapidly change expression, one after another. First, surprise, then confusion, and finally guilt, in quick succession. “Kara, I didn’t realise… Wow.” Alex stared down at the floor in front of her dumbfounded, shaking her head at herself, “I’m part of the problem.”

“Alex,” Kara warned, gently this time.

“Sorry, um… Since when?”

“Not when,” Kara sighed deeply. “ _Who_.”

“That bad, huh?” her sister’s voice was still kind, but was that tone…was she actually _impressed_? It was suddenly all too much for Kara. She just wanted to go see how Cat was doing.

“I…really can’t do this right now, Alex. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, _ukiem_.” Alex leaned over to kiss Kara on the forehead, before looking into her eyes, chocolate brown meeting ocean blue orbs with a serious expression. “We can talk when you’re ready.”

“I…yeah. Okay.”

“Take care of yourself, Kara.”

“You too, and give my love to Maggie.”

“Always.”

With Alex out the door, Kara wasted no time in changing into her super suit and flying out the window and straight to Cat’s penthouse.

 

* * *

 

As she touched down on the balcony she was surprised to see that Cat wasn’t out there as she had expected. Not that she needed a welcoming committee or anything, but when Cat was upset she usually came out here, more often than not with a glass of something strong to dull the pain.

She peeked inside and immediately spotted the small woman who looked even smaller as she sat curled up into herself in the middle of her sofa, the sharp edges she keeps as a front during office hours completely gone now and replaced with an incredible softness, especially wrapped in an oversized sweater that she wouldn’t be caught dead wearing out of her apartment, Kara was sure. She lightly tapped on the balcony door to let her presence known.

Cat’s head snapped up at the sound, her shoulders tensing for a second before she saw who her visitor was and she visibly relaxed in response. “It’s open,” she called quietly, knowing Kara would still hear her.

The hero let herself in just as quietly, not wanting to break the peace of this moment, even if it was born out of melancholy, rather than tranquillity. She stood there, in the middle of Cat’s living room, feeling a little stupid for not having come up with a better plan than just barging in on the other woman and what was clearly a private moment.

 “I thought…well…you sounded like you could use a…f-friend. I can leave if that’s what you want -“

“No,” Cat reached out for her wrist, squeezing it lightly before looking the hero in the eye. “Stay.”

She let her hand drop after that and Kara’s hand twitched from the effort to stop from reaching after it again, the need to comfort this woman suddenly overwhelming. But she resisted, because she sensed that that wasn’t what Cat needed from her at the moment.

“I _did_ invite you. There is just one tiny thing…” Cat started, trailing off as she stood up from the couch and walked into what Kara could only assume was her bedroom. She came back a minute later with clothes similar to what she was wearing that were, Kara belatedly realised, intended for her. “I don’t have anything against Supergirl, as you well know, but right now…I think I’d rather spend the evening with _my friend_ , Kara,” Cat declared, throwing her own word back at Kara with an emphasis that had the younger woman wondering once again, what it was exactly that they were to one another.

“ _Oh_.” Kara hesitated for a few minutes until she finally moved to take the clothes from Cat, and changed into them in a burst of superspeed right in front of her.

Cat motioned for them to sit on the couch, and Kara sat down leaving a respectable distance between them, not wanting to be too forward, never daring to take more than she was offered.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked quietly, because it was the polite thing to do.

Cat shakes her head slowly, but firmly.

“Okay,” Kara nods, having expected that response. The fact that she was allowed to be there at all was already more than enough to make her feel grateful. Cat was being vulnerable, and more than that, she was letting Kara see it. That in itself was more than she could have hoped for and she wasn’t about to push her luck.

The silence wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, and once again Kara felt grateful that she had someone in her life whose mere presence could tame the swirling sea of emotions inside her. She could only hope that the older woman was getting something out of her being there in return, but she figured that if Cat didn’t really want her there then she wouldn’t be. So instead of feeling insecure and like she had something to prove, she searched her mind for something that she knew would always take precedence in the mind of a good journalist over her own personal troubles. A good story. And she knew just the one.

“Did you know that Krypton used to have two moons?” she asked, not waiting for a response. “At least, according to some ancient accounts. Supposedly, they were both orbiting the planet at the same speed in the same direction, so they would never meet. _Could not_ ever meet,” she emphasized, and to her relief, it seemed that Cat was already invested in her little mythology lesson enough to let the sad expression momentarily slip from her face. So Kara continued weaving the familiar tale she’d heard a million times when she was a child, adding her own little bits of knowledge that she’s picked up over the years back on Krypton.

“They taught us about them in school, as a part of Kryptonian mythology, but their history was engrained into our culture as well. There were legends and songs written about them, not to mention the abundance of poetry. I mean who doesn’t love a good star-crossed lovers trope?” Kara nudged Cat’s shoulder, coaxing a snort out of the older woman, as they both knew how much she hated clichés.

“One was supposed to represent light and all that was good in the universe, and the other the darkness and the shadows,” Kara went on, more and more comfortable with her narrating role as the minutes went on. “But not like in the classic, two-dimensional comic book superhero and arch villain kinda way. There were a number of different interpretations, of course, but they were mostly portrayed as two parts of a whole, as neither could exist without the other.”

Kara paused for a minute to take a breath, more out of habit than anything else, and caught a pair of hazel eyes looking at her, staring into her soul intently. Kara wished, more than anything, that she could hear what the other woman was thinking. But she felt compelled to carry on, hoping that it would give her some clue about the things she didn’t dare ask her directly.

“The way my mother used to tell it to my cousin and me, the moral of the tale is that one cannot always be good, and everyone has a dark side. Even Supergirl – even me. And no one is ever really lost to the darkness either, not if there is someone who believes in them.” _Like you believed in me, even after most people turned away_ , Kara dared her silently to read between the lines. “At least, that’s what the legend says anyway,” she finished quietly, suddenly less sure of herself.

“Why did you tell me that?” Cat asked after a minute or two, her expression inscrutable.

Trust the reporter in her to go digging for the truth, even when it’s buried under an ancient rubble of forgotten alien history. But she isn’t wrong, and Kara wished she was brave enough to just come out and say all the things to her that she was trying so hard to convey, even if in a slightly roundabout sort of way. Maybe using long since dead celestial bodies as a metaphor for the two of them was a bit much, but she’s always been fond of that story, not to mention the stars, and her impression always had been that Cat saw them as two opposite ends of the spectrum, instead of what they really were: two sides of the same coin. Which, incidentally, also couldn’t exist without their counterparts.

“I thought it would distract you. I…wanted to share something about Krypton that you can’t read in the papers, and this was the first thing that came to my mind. I used to love that story. I don’t even know if we had _a_ moon, let alone two, but you have to admit there is some truth to the way it describes good and evil, which is the core of it all, even if it’s wrapped up in a fairytale.”

“Which is usually the case with good stories,” Cat hums quietly, and Kara recognizes the tone as the one Cat uses to educate, spreading her infinite wisdom without making it seem like an effort to listen, and Kara can’t remember the last time they’ve had a conversation like this. She almost aches with how much she’s missed it. “If the whole thing is completely made up, then it’s always going to lack that element of sincerity that gets people invested in reading it, and chasing after that elusive part that they think made them do it in the first place. You have to believe in the core idea, really think about what it is you want to say, and _if_ you do, then it’s almost like the story itself becomes a part of _you_ , that you’re ultimately giving away, in order to make it real and authentic. That’s one of the first things I learned as a writer.”

“Alright, now that I’m sufficiently distracted…” Cat allows, settling in and arranging the pillows behind her to make it more comfortable and making Kara blush in the same breath at the apparent transparency of her little plan. “Tell me about your _home_ , Kara.”

And she does.

For hours, she tells Cat about her family, about her lost parents and the conflicting picture that remains of them as a haunting souvenir in Kara’s mind and in her heart. For the first time in a long time, she lets herself really remember everything that she’s lost, and Cat listens intently, soaking up her pain like a soft sponge, cleansing her of their suffocating weight and soothing it with her tender attention.

After she’s exhausted her emotional reserves with all the tragic tales her heart could bear to give up to another soul, Kara tells Cat about the good things too. Anything and everything she can think of. About the kinds of stories her mother used to read to her before bed, because she knows the journalist in Cat will be intrigued by the alien mythology wrapped up in a custom that is all too similar to her as a mother here on Earth.

Kara tells her about the places she loved to go when she craved solitude, something she knows the other woman can relate to. How she never felt lonely when she was out in the open air, only surrounded by the beauty of nature on her home planet. At the faraway, longing look in darkening green eyes, she describes the exact shade and contour of the purple leaves and the rose tinted yellow sky, and how different it felt to be living under a sun the colour of your own blood.

In a way it wasn’t all that different because on Krypton she was the closest thing to a human an alien could be. She was only ‘super’ here. When she says that though, Cat looks at her like she wants to say something, but the heat of that gaze alone is so intense that Kara feels like she has to drop her own before she reveals something that she can never take back.

Time flies by after that and Cat falls asleep before Kara could tell her about Krypton’s political ideals, and on second thought, maybe that’s a good thing. She’s the last child of the great House of El, but if one Cat Grant set her mind on getting her point across in a debate, not even her interplanetary noble status could help Kara win that one.

Instead, she gathers up the sleeping blonde in her arms carefully and carries her to the bedroom as the sun comes up, so that her back won’t hurt her in the morning.

 

* * *

 

With one last look into the penthouse, Kara launches herself quietly off the familiar balcony and takes to the skies, already planning a thorough patrol route around the city to clear her head. She’s so caught up in her musings about Cat and the memory of her feather weight in Kara’s arms that she doesn’t hear the clicking of a camera nearby, nor does she see the hooded figure retreat behind the building and into a waiting car that takes off just as quietly as it came.

Not that she could have prevented the chain of events that would be set into motion by the existence of those pictures, but, in retrospect, a warning sure would have been nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I snuck another Kryptonian word in there. 'Ukiem' means familial love.  
> And in other news: prepare for plot you guys!


	3. how long can we keep this up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the very beginning of that plot I warned you about. Not everything is as it seems though.

“So?” came the impatient female voice, urging the man to step out of the shadows.

“I’ve got what you asked, Ma’am,” the man said, handing over a stuffed envelope. “Here are the photographs,” he says gruffly. “And this isn’t the first time Supergirl’s been spotted in the Grant woman’s neighbourhood, if you know what I mean.”

“I see,” the woman says, looking over the pictures carefully. “Looks like our intel was right. They indeed seem to be… _affiliated_. Which makes _her_ ,” she says, pointing a long manicured finger at Cat’s sleeping profile where it rests against Kara’s shoulder, “the perfect candidate for Phase One.”

The woman lifted one of the pictures up in front of her to study it closer while she mused out loud.

“If there really are any side effects and the head of the biggest media conglomerate in National City ends up being permanently indisposed, well…that would be a nice _bonus_.”

Pale green eyes flash in the low light and the woman dials a number on her phone. The person on the other end picks up after a single ring and her voice is clear and authoritative as she gives the order.

“Initiate the plan.”

 

* * *

 

After lazily rolling out of bed and enjoying a generous breakfast, Kara contemplated her options. It was a remarkably beautiful Sunday morning, and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have anything planned. Alex was with Maggie, celebrating a half-versary of some kind, and both Winn and James have been suspiciously distant lately, and while that was something to be dealt with in the future, today Kara decided to focus on herself for a change. Now that was a _concept_.

With the sun’s rays warming the air through the open window and spreading the familiar tingling sensation along her exposed skin already, filling her up with much needed energy and vitality, the balcony was the obvious choice for whatever she eventually decided to do. She was in the middle of debating with herself whether to catch up on her painting or her reading when she heard a soft, almost tentative knock on the door. Kara frowned, wondering who the mysterious visitor could be, before remembering she was an alien from another planet with the gift of X-ray vision who didn’t _have_ to wonder when she could just look instead.

When she saw her former boss on the other side of her front door, fidgeting with a box of cupcakes in her hands, Kara’s jaw almost hit the floor in her astonishment.

“ _Cat?_ ” Kara could try as she might, but the disbelief is still clear in her voice when she opens the door to the other woman. She instantly regrets it at the thinly veiled insecurity shining back at her from cautious hazel eyes, so of course she immediately backpedals into a cheerful greeting as if that was her plan all along. As if Cat showing up on her doorstep on a sunny Sunday morning is not without precedent and isn’t something that throws her completely off balance. _As if._

“I mean… _HI!_ ” Kara winces at the now definitely over-eager response, but the familiarity of it actually makes Cat chuckle and suddenly it’s worth the embarrassment to feel like they’re on even ground again.

“I’m sorry to barge in on you like this,” Cat starts with seemingly no intention of crossing the threshold, and maybe Kara has an overactive imagination, but it feels like a big cosmic metaphor for their whole relationship. “But I wanted to thank you. For the other day.”

“I… _oh_?” The cupcakes. “You’re…welcome, I guess. But w-why would you need to… _thank me?_ ”

“Well, for starters, you did spend your Friday night trying to keep me from being miserable and alone and you didn’t _have_ to do that. And second,” Cat holds up a finger to keep Kara from interrupting her as her tone takes on a guarded kind of quality that even Kara can’t immediately identify, “thank you for the trust, Kara. It was…flattering, to say the least, to have you finally confide in me like I’ve always wished you would,” she finishes quietly, and it’s hard to tell who’s more stunned at the words.

“So, here,” Cat finally breaks the heavy silence as she holds out the box between them and raises an eyebrow when Kara makes no move to take it from her. _That’s_ a first.

“You _do_ know there’s food in this box, right?”

Kara does roll her eyes at that before taking the box and ushering Cat into her apartment, whether she likes it or not. After a confession like that, however unbidden it might have come, she can’t find it in her to close the door with Cat still on the other side.

It’s a little awkward at first, neither woman quite knowing what to do with themselves, but that’s a feeling Kara is intimately acquainted with and it’s easy to soldier on when her curiosity is flamed, as well as many other interesting emotions that shall remain unnamed for the time being.

“I didn’t mind,” despite the awkwardness, when she answers, her voice is completely serious. “I like spending time with you.”

“ _Still,_ ” Cat says quietly, looking down at her feet. _Interesting_. “Take it as a gift then.”

Kara doesn’t know what else to say to that so she places the box on the kitchen counter and asks Cat if she would like something to drink which she politely declines. Kara opens her mouth to say something, anything really, to break the awkward tension that’s settled over them when she hears Cat murmur in quiet fascination.

“I didn’t know you paint.”

She follows the other woman’s line of sight and her gaze lands on the pile of canvases resting on the floor against the wall in the far corner of the room.

“Oh. _Those_ ,” she allows, suddenly shy. “It’s what I do when things don’t make sense. When I need to think.”

“I thought you went flying went you want to,” Cat stops to make a dramatic airquote with her hands as emphasis, “ _unwind_?”

“Sometimes,” Kara nods. “I mean, flying is great for adrenaline and when I need to work out some anger, but…” she trails off trying to think of a way to make her understand, because for some reason it is imperative that Cat _does_. “Painting is the only thing that helps me when I’m having…more complicated thoughts. _Feelings_.”

“Ah,” Cat says, discretely looking in the general direction of the paintings with barely disguised curiosity. “I see.”

Cat is clearly intrigued, but for some reason chooses not to pry and that in itself is enough to make Kara wish she did. She’s in the middle of debating in her head whether or not to share any more of herself with the woman standing before her when her thoughts get interrupted yet again. “So I guess you’re having…a lot of complicated _feelings_ these days.”

“I…um,” Kara stammered, clearly caught. “ _Yes_.”

“May I ask what about?”

She was not at all prepared for this line of questioning, but knowing Cat, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all. And yet.

 _You_.

Hazel eyes bore into baby blue and Kara was fighting the blush creeping up her neck with everything she had in her, and it still wasn’t enough. Cat would know, just as she always did. Maybe. Unfortunately. _Hopefully_.

“I…” she tries anyway.

“ _What_ ,” Cat presses softly, phrasing it like a request instead of the question it’s supposed to be and somehow that makes Kara even more nervous, if that’s even possible. No one flusters her like Cat does. _Nobody_.

“It’s n-not…” she stumbles again, trying desperately to hold onto what little presence of mind she still calls her own, while those eyes burn into her like wildfire and it feels like the walls are closing in on her from all sides.

“ _Tell me_.”

“Cat,” she pleads one last time, despite knowing it’s futile.

“ _Kara_ ,” she insists, with an edge of desperation that should surprise Kara, but it doesn’t. How could it when she feels it in herself too, taking up residence in the deepest parts of her, clawing at her from the inside, as surely as the tingles slowly and persistently creeping up her spine. “ _Please_.”

It’s that last one that does it, because Cat never _asks_ for anything unless it’s truly important.

“I think you _know_ what about,” she finally whispers and her gaze drops to the soft lips, mere inches from her own, leaving no question in the moderate space between them about what her intentions are. And judging by Cat’s sharp intake of breath, and the way her heart hammers in her chest like a cracked up drummer, it looks like they’re more or less on the same page, as far as this moment is concerned.

Eyes search each other one more time in a last ditch effort to untangle this delicate web of desire, wrapped up in a mess of unwanted complications and long-buried genuine, deep feelings for another person before they both lean in at the same time. Their lips are scant inches away from touching each other and Kara can almost taste Cat’s cherry flavoured lipstick, can already feel her warm, puffy breaths caress her face and for an instant she thinks she’s still dreaming.

“ _Supergirl,_ ” comes Alex’s steady voice through the comm. Not a dream then.

It should be impossible with how close they are to each other already, but Cat takes one more minuscule step closer, despite Kara’s certainty that she’s heard Alex’s voice in her ear.

“It’s Alex,” she tells her anyway. “They need Supergirl.”

“You should go,” Cat breathes, practically onto Kara’s lips, before realising what she’s about to do and who with and the moment is broken instantly, with the subtlety of a meteor shower, as she steps back to create distance between them once more. And though they never break eye contact, something between them irreparably changes in that moment before Kara turns and shoots into the sky through her open balcony door, the feeling settling deep in her stomach suspiciously close to that of the aching sensation of loss.

 

* * *

 

The DEO emergency turns out to be a rogue alien terrorizing school children and it’s possible that they could’ve taken him in without Kara punching all his teeth out, but no one seems to complain about the incident, and Maggie even smirks at her quietly saying he was already ugly to begin with.

Not one civilian or police officer gets hurt and Alex invites her to join the NCPD officers for a celebratory drink, which Kara declines with a flimsy excuse that her sister should be able to pick up on and goes home to her empty apartment. Technically, the day is a resounding success, but as Kara flies by Cat’s penthouse where the lights are completely out despite the early hour, the young hero still feels like something precious was taken away from her.

The next week flies by in a flurry of activity and Kara wasn’t exactly in a good mood when the week began but James keeps being standoffish and Winn rarely accepts her lunch invitations anymore and with Snapper on her back it all puts into very stark contrast how hard her life really is without the daily interactions with the one person who never fails to make her feel at peace.

Technically it _is_ a busier week than usual, so it could be argued that Cat really doesn’t have time for daily chitchats, but Kara knows her enough to know when she’s pulling away. And besides, their daily routines have been moulded and shaped to fit into the other’s schedule over the previous months without any conscious effort or planning, so this absence cannot possibly be anything _but_ deliberate. Which doesn’t bode well for Kara and her hopes to deepen this newfound friendship.

And even throughout a busy week like this, it does weigh on Kara heavily that Cat is obviously avoiding her after what almost, but not quite happened in her apartment last weekend. It’s infuriating and incredibly unfair, because a line has been crossed enough that there are palpable consequences already, in the form of Cat pulling away, but it hasn’t been crossed enough to even begin to satisfy Kara’s deep, deep longing for the woman with an empire and most of the world at her feet who could have her pick of literally anyone but somehow still seems to gravitate solely towards Kara. At least, until she realized she was doing it.

Kara groans as she feels the telltale buzz that would feel like a full blown headache coming on if her biology was in fact not Kryptonian but that of a mere human. Which tells her Cat probably isn’t faring any better. Kara picks up her phone and hovers over Cat’s contact debating if she should be the bigger person here and try to clear the air between them. But what could she even say?

Not to mention that ignoring a text is way easier than ignoring a person who works in the same building as you, and Cat has done that flawlessly for three days straight now so what are the chances really, of a text making any difference.

A moment later her phone pings with another one of Snapper’s ill-mannered summons for an editorial meeting and Kara steels herself for whatever is coming next. The rest would have to wait.

 

* * *

 

When she does see Cat again it’s almost a week later and she’s just made her assistant cry and Cat rolls her eyes as he’s scrambling to escape her icy stare and literally barrels into Kara and the myriad of magazines she was supposed to deliver to Cat as a favour for a less courageous CatCo employee.

It’s been an excruciating week with little to no relief and the sigh that leaves Kara at her prospective situation could knock a 200-pound man over if she wasn’t paying enough attention to control it. But she does crouch down to the floor and resigns herself to collecting the various colourful pages right there in Cat’s office door, because the situations clearly couldn’t get any more inconvenient than it already is.

What she doesn’t expect is the pair of Jimmy Choo heels that enter her vision as Cat crouches down next to her, and Kara physically cannot help her eyes wandering up those toned legs as she swallows hard, her eyes ending their journey on Cat’s face to gauge her expression. But the CEO refuses to look Kara in the eye as she collects magazine after magazine from around their feet, without taking any notice of how the material of her dress bunches up over the curve of her hips, making Kara forget which way is up and which is down.

“Could you stop _ogling me_ and hurry up please, one more minute in this position and my feet are gonna be permanently damaged thanks to these awful heels,” Cat hisses and Kara is mortified enough at being caught that she misses the opportunity to sass Cat right back about still insisting to wear those awful heels regardless, and snaps into action instead, and they’re back in Cat’s office not a minute later.

Cat flops down in her chair behind her desk with a loud huffing sound and unceremoniously discards the offending shoes into two different corners of the room as Kara stands around unsurely, waiting for something to give.

“Stop fidgeting so much, it’s making me dizzy,” Cat snaps and it’s a bit too much like old times for comfort, but it could be an opening if Kara plays her cards right.

She takes a seat in the chair across from Cat and tentatively seeks her eyes, a tiny flicker of hope igniting in her when the other woman allows the contact.

“I think we should talk -“

“We don’t have to talk about anything but work.” The dismissal is clear and the pain it causes is just as sharp, all but instantly crushing the blossoming hope underneath. But it’s a defence mechanism and Kara knows that.

She is well aware that the huff-and-puff attitude is just an act that serves as a protective shield between Cat’s substantial vulnerable side and the cold, undeserving outside world. But as far as acts go, it’s a damn good one, and effective too, as if the knowledge that Cat feels the need to protect herself from Kara again, after it finally felt like they’ve started to let each other in, wasn’t discouraging enough.

Kara is about to try again when she sees the discomfort on Cat’s face, her unaffected façade dropping for a second as she obviously struggles with nausea and Kara is up and out of her chair and leaning over the other woman in a second, awkwardness completely forgotten in the face of a real threat to Cat’s well-being.

“What’s wrong, are you sick?” Kara couldn’t keep the worry out of her voice if she tried.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m fine” comes the predictable rebuttal, but it does nothing to assuage Kara’s concern, especially not when Cat still hasn’t let go of the edge of her desk, gripping it so tightly that her knuckles turn white.

And then a moment later it seems to pass and Cat is right back to being her calm and collected self again, and Kara fears she is about to be dismissed, but then Cat meets her gaze and whatever she sees there must change her mind because her shoulders sag and she sighs, and it’s not much, but it feels like a concession.

“You’re right, Kara. We probably should talk,” is all she says, and the warning in her eyes stops Kara from interrupting her.

“But not here. Come to the penthouse after hours. We can do it over dinner.”

This time Kara really is dismissed, but the invitation is already more than she expected to get so she accepts it without further complaint, but not without making sure that Cat really is alright first.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Yes _Kiera_ , I’m sure,” Cat rolls her eyes with a little too much affection for it to have any of the desired effect, and it’s the most encouraging exchange they’ve had since last weekend which makes Kara feel hopeful that they can work things out one way or another tonight.

“I didn’t realise I was paying you to mother me, and by the way, that article of yours won’t write itself, you know, so chop… ch-“ before she could finish, Cat doubles over from the sudden uncomfortable feeling in her stomach and Kara doesn’t hesitate to step around the desk again and is at Cat’s side in a fraction of a second, arms gripping Cat’s shoulders in a vice grip, hoping to protect her with the sheer force of her hold alone.

“Miss Grant?” Kara asked worriedly, the blinding fear in her gut making her revert back to the old days without even noticing. Her eyes keep scanning the older woman’s face frantically for any signs of what might be causing her obvious distress.

“ _Cat?_ ”

“I…” she tries weakly, fingers gripping on to Kara for the support she wishes she had the power to give.

“On second…thought, I don’t…I don’t feel so good,” Cat pants out as she collapses in Kara’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me. Or do.. whatever sits right. But remember, it's only just beginning..


	4. please don't stand so close to me (i'm having trouble breathing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some important revelations that lead to even more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I apologize for the delay, and the bad news is I really can't promise to do better next time. These coming months are gonna be one hell of a ride for me, so I make no promises about the regularity of my updates. But as always, I can promise to do my best, and we'll go from there.  
> I know this isn't technically a soulmate thing, but the theme of the day _is_ distance, and that was an opportunity that would've been a pity to pass up so. Here we are.  
>  Enjoy.  
> XXX

Everything hurts and it’s like a permanent fog has settled on all of her senses, dulling all external sensation, leaving nothing but the constant low humming of her own bodily discomfort.

Cat groans, but it’s mostly directed inwards, no sound leaves her lips as she tries to regain her faculties, with little to no success. Even opening her eyes seems a terrible feat, so Cat settles on keeping them closed for the moment. 

The first thing she’s aware of is the terribly uncomfortable, narrow bed under her that’s not doing any favours for her back, and it instantly makes her wish she was in her penthouse instead, with her 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, or better yet, the appropriately expensive silk ones she has at the beach house.

Which reminds Cat, she doesn’t actually know where she is.

Well, she could wager a guess, Cat notes after finally blinking her eyes open, seeing the somewhat sterile, yet un-hospital-like environment, the muted colours, the strict and commanding style that easily translates even through this one room alone. So this must be it then, she thinks to herself. The infamous DEO.

Cat has been quietly using her sources in high places to gain at least a modicum of information about the super secret organization Kara works for, out of concern and yes, plain old journalistic curiosity. Her knowledge, although not much, was enough to intrigue her about this place. Who would have thought all she’d have to do is faint in the middle of her office in broad daylight and boom, free access?

It was endearing, really, how Kara thought she could keep her in the dark when she couldn’t even keep her identity secret from Cat. For the moment though, she had bigger problems than that. Like what the hell just happened to her, for starters.

The last thing she can recall is feeling incredibly nauseous in her office while doing her best to keep it from Kara, who of course wouldn’t budge in her infuriatingly thoughtful attempts to make sure Cat was alright, as per usual.

And then… _nothing_.

Which is troubling to Cat, not that she’s a stranger to short term memory loss herself, but those in her case tended to be mostly alcohol-induced. This time, however, Cat had no hand in her apparent hangover-like state, which is more than enough cause for concern, secret shadowy government location notwithstanding.

She doesn’t have much time to ponder though, because now that her senses are slowly coming back to the surface, Cat becomes aware of the faint noises of a conversation filtering through the glass wall of the room she’s in, the voices becoming louder and louder as the two people approach.

And though she’s not yet strong enough to sit up and look up at their faces through the glass, the voices of the two women are more than enough for Cat to identify them, in the middle of what seems to be a heated argument. About her.

“… _believe this, Kara_!” The sister. Agent Scully Danvers, if Cat recalls correctly. “ _Cat Grant_ is your lady crush?”

Cat winces at the tone, but she still isn’t quite strong enough to keep the soft smile from crossing her lips at hearing that out loud. Until she hears the rest of Alex’s sentence.

 _“Really_ , Kara?” the disbelief is clear, but even worse, paired with the apparent hostility, Cat has plenty of experience of her own to tell how dangerous that combination can be. “Of all the nasty, mean-spirited, and not to mention powerful and dangerous –“

“Alex, please,” Kara says, much softer and Cat has to strain to catch what she’s saying. “ _Stop_.”

“Not until you explain it to me! And definitely not until you tell me what the hell were you thinking, bringing her here?”

And there, finally, is the anger. That one, at the very least, Cat can handle. At least, when it’s directed at her.

“Cat Grant of all people! Do you even understand the kind of security breach this is –“

“There is no security breach if we don’t tell her where she is, since she was unconscious the whole flight here, which, by the way, is the reason why we’re even having this conversation in the first place!” Kara exclaims, and Cat can just about picture her arms gesturing vaguely in the air as she desperately tries to make her point.

 _About that_.

“So if you could be so kind as to direct your attention to the real problem that would be –“

“I’m sorry, but how are you so chill about this?” Alex questions with a dangerous edge to her voice. “Whatever else I think of her, I know she’s not stupid, Kara! She’ll figure you out in an instant if you give her this chance. Doesn’t that concern you…at all?”

The silence on Kara’s end would tell Cat all she needs to know, if she didn’t already, and Alex isn’t far behind either, with only her last ditch effort to cling to some semblance of hope that Kara hasn’t completely lost it standing in her way.

“Wait a minute…” she drawls, and though she doesn’t know Alex yet, even Cat can tell that particular tone means trouble. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Kara murmurs something, and even without having superhearing, Cat can guess it’s a confirmation of what Alex already knows, even if she doesn’t want to believe it yet.

“You _what_?” Uh oh. “You _told_ her? Kara, I know you can get carried away, but I thought you were smarten than –“

“Enough!” Kara’s voice booms and Cat can tell even without seeing her that she is all Supergirl at the moment, the authority of the role clearly present in her voice.

“I trust her, Alex.”

That seems to stun the sister into silence, and Kara takes the rare opportunity to drive her point home, “So either you find a way to deal with that or I go to somebody else for help, and the DEO can kiss Cat’s discretion goodbye.”

And with that, Cat hears the door to her room open, but instead of the smashing sound she expected when it was shut in frustration, she only hears a quiet clicking sound as Kara gently closes it behind herself, making Cat realize that Kara thinks she’s still asleep.

When she doesn’t hear anyone else enter the room Cat silently debates with herself whether or not to keep up the charade, not wanting to make Kara feel uncomfortable when she realizes that Cat just heard everything.

Kara makes the decision for her when she starts talking. “I know you’re awake, Cat, I can hear the difference in your breathing.”

Cat sighs, only slightly embarrassed at being caught.

Feeling a little more in control of her faculties, she tries to push herself up on her arms so she can face Kara as they talk. The hero is at her side in the fraction of a moment when she figures out Cat’s intention, her cape giving a whooshing sound when it flows behind her as she moves. Cat feels a feather light touch on her back as Kara helps her sit up in the bed a second later.

“How much of that did you hear?” Kara asks, more curious than wary.

Cat notices she doesn’t let her hand drop from her back.

“The important bits,” she admits, not meeting the younger woman’s eyes. “But we don’t have to talk about this now.”

“We were going to, though,” Kara says quietly, reminding Cat of the dinner that never came.

It’s unsettling, this tightrope dance of theirs, and Cat can’t help but wonder about the potential casualties when one of them inevitably makes a misstep, making everything come tumbling down around them.

They really _do_ need to talk.

“I’m not saying no, darling,” Cat answers after a long silence, finally looking Kara in the eye. The uncertainty swirling around so close to the surface of those sky blue orbs almost makes her feel guilty, like she is betraying Kara somehow by not wearing her heart on her sleeve like she does.

So she adds after a few seconds more, “I just prefer to talk about my private life...in _private_ ,” she enunciates the word, slightly cocking her head to the side, indicating their surroundings, raising a brow at the cameras sitting in each corner of the room.

That seems to placate Kara somewhat, and the hand on Cat’s back draws back to hang awkwardly at her side. Cat has a sudden urge to reach out and take it, but she tamps it down and asks about what she really wants to know instead.

“How long was I out?”

“A few hours,” Kara shrugs. “I made a doctor here check your vitals and they assure me that whatever happened at the office was a one-time thing, but I’m still –” Kara bites her tongue and Cat doesn’t comment, just waits for the other shoe to drop. “I asked Alex to check you out, because there’s no one I trust more.”

The implication that when it comes to Cat, nothing less than the best will do is yet again left hanging there without comment, but Cat quietly adds it to the ever growing pile of unspoken admissions that ever passed between them.

“I see,” Cat says dryly. “And I suppose I don’t get a vote here.”

“Cat, you _fainted_ ,” Kara says accusingly, emphasizing the last word with a deep frown, her worry bleeding through and Cat can’t find it in herself to be annoyed at how much Kara cares about her.

“Fine. But if your sister decides to murder me out of spite, it’s on you.”

“My sister will be -"

“Right here,” Alex says dryly from the doorway, surprising the two distracted women. “Didn’t you hear me come in?”

Kara frowns, “No, I didn’t.”

“Too busy being corrupted by your evil boss here?”

Kara gasps at the accusation, but before she has any time to react she’s interrupted by the woman in question.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Cat quips, “it appears I’m suddenly allergic to baseless criticism. Let me get that checked out as well, while we’re at it.”

Alex and Cat stare each other down for a minute and Cat would worry about Kara’s lack of breathing in the meantime if she wasn’t an alien, but then Alex snorts and the ice is suddenly broken, even if the ground is still shaky.

“Alright, Cat,” she says, and it’s not kind, but it isn’t as hostile anymore either, and Cat hears Kara finally take a breath again, so that’s something.

“For whatever reason, your wellbeing is important to Kara, and that means it’s important to me, so let’s get this over with,” Alex grumbles and the reluctance Cat can understand, but what astounds her is the fierce loyalty Alex must feel to Kara beneath all that if she is willing to do so much, against her better judgement. “But make no mistake, once we’re done here, non-disclosure agreements _will_ be coming your way.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Cat shrugs her shoulders lightly, still feeling somewhat depleted as she sits as regally as she can manage on the narrow bed.

“ _Oh._ ”

“What, Agent Scully?”

“I just...didn’t expect you to be so agreeable.”

Cat scoffs, but decides not to poke the bear. For now.

Kara’s sister might give the convincing impression of a threatening army of one, but Cat could see the similarities between them already, even if Alex didn’t want to.

“Alright then. So as per Kara’s request, I’m going to do a full examination, just to be sure,” Alex sighs resignedly, and Cat can already tell it’s going to be a long few hours for the both of them.

Alex looks pointedly at Kara, then at the door, indicating that she should leave the two of them to it. Cat suspects she’s going to have to have a talk with Alex Danvers sooner rather than later, but no way is that happening before she’s had the chance to talk to Kara first.

“Kara can stay, Alex.”

“Fine,” Alex huffs and they begin.

It’s a gruelling process of Alex asking Cat questions with varying degrees of necessity while Kara squirms in the corner awkwardly, hating that she can’t be of more use.

“Is it in any way possible that you could be pregnant?” A snort.

“Do you drink alcohol regularly?” A glare.

“Have you broken any bones lately?” A shake of the head.

“Any hearts?” This time, it’s Kara who can’t help her reaction to Alex’s calculated jab, even if Cat herself allows it.

“ _Alex_ ,” she warns and it’s almost surreal for Cat to be caught in this situation with the Danvers sisters, being defended by Kara for a supposed crime they haven’t even had the chance to commit. So to speak.

Alex shrugs, not sorry in the least and they move on. After half an hour of careful medical examination, Alex is still left with a seemingly remarkably healthy, although increasingly impatient Cat.

“I’m going to have to call my son soon, and I do have a media empire to run, in case you forgot about that,” Cat huffs, her patience finally wearing thin. “How much longer is this going to take?”

Alex is about to open her mouth and Cat suspects it’s not going to be pretty, but Kara jumps in at the last second, grateful to finally have something to do, even if it’s playing peacekeeper between the two women.

“You’re almost done, Cat. Alex is going to take your blood, and then once the results are in and I have scientific evidence that you’re really alright…”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it,” Cat says resignedly and Kara rewards her with a sweet smile. “Staying put, Supergirl.”

Cat notices Alex watching them with a curious expression and wonders what kind of a picture she might be forming about them, but then the older Danvers shakes her head and gets to work on Cat without any comment.

The needle is cold and sharp as it pierces her skin and Cat does her best to hide her wince when the pain shoots through her arm. Kara is way too quick for her own good though, and she’s by Cat’s side in a flash, taking the older woman’s hand in hers, squeezing lightly.

Alex has the same pensive look in her eyes as her gaze lands on their joined hands, but the frown on her face tells Cat that she’s a long way from accepting whatever this is. Cat can’t exactly blame her when her own feelings are so jumbled and uncertain.

The one thing she does know though, is that Kara’s touch on her hand is soothing and it grounds her in a way that she isn’t familiar with. She could get used to it though.

Cat lifts her gaze just in time to see Kara smiling softly at her, thumb drawing small circles on the back of Cat’s hand. She’s only faintly aware of Alex as she leaves them alone to analyse the blood sample, and once again Cat is left alone with Kara.

 

* * *

 

While Alex was doing her thing Kara tried her best to be supportive, for Cat, but once she's finally alone with her again, the nerves come back with full force and it's slightly overwhelming how anxious she is.

The strong, quick staccato of her heart is nothing new, whenever she is in the other woman's presence, and neither is Kara's elevated awareness of Cat's every breath, but the queasy feeling in her stomach is.

It’s as if just by being near her, Cat literally has the power to make Kara weak. She wants to laugh at herself because she knows Cat would roll her eyes all the way back to her head if she knew what Kara was thinking.

But it was accurate, and Kara couldn’t help the smile that lit up her face when Cat lifted her gaze and those hazel eyes focused completely on her.

It was almost too much, the effect Cat had on her.

Kara looked down on their still joined hands, only now noticing that her thumb is lightly stroking the back of Cat's hand and she's suddenly not sure if she's overstepping so she starts to draw her hand back, only to have Cat stop her with her free hand.

She wants to ask Cat whether they should finally talk about this or not, but after she's satisfied that her wordless affirmation came across, Cat surprises Kara by reaching up with the hand that was just on top of hers and cupping Kara's cheek in an infinitely tender caress that makes Kara melt. Really, that knees going weak thing has never been more poignant as Kara feels her legs turn to jelly, she just never thought it applied to Kryptonians before.

When Cat goes on to tangle her hand in her locks, lightly weaving her fingers through the blonde tresses Kara can't help but close her eyes and sink into the sensation.

It's only when she hears Cat's voice somewhat distantly calling her name that she snaps back to reality again.

"Darling," Cat says, only satisfied when Kara's eyes find hers, and Kara can tell it's important that she holds Cat's gaze for this conversation. "Are you absolutely sure that _this_ ," Cat motions vaguely at herself and Kara instantly misses the delicate warm hand in her hair, "is what you want?"

Another wave of that weird, unsettling nervousness spreads over Kara, but she tries her best to ignore it and focus back on Cat's beautiful face instead.

The insecurity she sees there in her expression is killing her so Kara channels her Supergirl confidence, her voice steady and sure as she answers in a tone that brooks no argument, even from Cat Grant herself.

"I've never been more sure of anything."

Cat sighs and Kara is yet again astonished at the apparent relief, because it means Cat actually doubted that Kara wanted her. Which is a ludicrous concept, because how could she not? How could anyone?

Now when Kara thinks about what it is that Cat could possibly see in _her_ , though.

"I feel it too, Kara," Cat says then with a knowing look in her hazel eyes. "My reservations have never been about that."

"No?" Kara can't help but ask one more time, still not entirely sure she's not dreaming.

Cat disentangles their hands at last and takes Kara's face in both of her palms, ever so gently trapping her gaze as she whispers an emphatic " _No_ ," slowly shaking her head along with it.

Kara sighs then, still not entirely convinced how she could ever measure up, but then Cat leans her forehead against hers and the sensations running through Kara are getting out of control, but there is no way she's willingly giving up the contact.

She closes her eyes and asks the obvious question instead.

"What _are_ they about then?"

Cat sighs in frustration, drawing back slightly as she runs a hand through her own hair, which is a lot less immaculate than she would like, Kara's sure.

And though she misses the closeness instantly, it's a momentary reprieve that allows Kara to collect herself too, as Cat stretches her limbs and stands up for the first time, pacing around the room to collect her thoughts as Kara knew she would.

"Well. I'm sure none of this is new to you, but," Cat gestures at herself with a raised brow, daring Kara to contradict her, "my age, for starters. And don't...I know you've told me about the Phantom Zone, but it’s not the same."

"No, it isn't,” Kara agrees, knowing full well that arguing with Cat now will achieve nothing. “Still doesn’t change the way I feel about you," she shrugs, because to her it's that simple.

"There's also the imbalance of power," Cat continues, apparently on a roll now. "Even with your promotion, I'm still technically your boss, Kara."

"And _I_ ," Kara whispers conspirationally, " _am Supergirl_. How is that for a power couple?"

Cat throws her arms up in the air in apparent defeat, but Kara can tell there is more.

"What is it, Cat?" she prods gently, careful to give the older woman space as she hopefully confesses what's still bothering her.

"Oh, Kara," Cat sighs, shoulders sagging at once. "It's...well, it's… _me_. Bitter, vain, unapologetic in all the worst ways. I don't deserve your genuine brand of care. I know I don't."

" _Cat_ ," Kara steps forward, determined to get her point across, knowing it has the potential to make or break them. "Let me be the judge of that. And besides…my desire to give it to you is not contingent on whether you deserve it or not."

"But you're also wrong, because all those things you just listed," Kara begins earnestly, then stops to take a much needed breath to calm herself, "that's not all you are.”

When Cat begins to protest, Kara shoots her down easily, more eager to defend her than to placate her for the moment.

“I'm actually one of the few people you’ve let in enough to see it, so there is no use arguing, because I _know_ , Cat. It seems we’ve both failed at keeping things hidden from each other, even if the rest of the world is still none the wiser. Because you see, Cat, just like you figured out my secret, it didn’t take me long to figure out yours. How genuinely kind you are, under that carefully calculated business persona, how generous and compassionate, and, whether you like it or not, _selfless_. I see you, Cat,” Kara whispers emphatically. " _All of you_.”

“And I can't help, but want you all the more for that."

Kara only dares look up into Cat’s eyes after she’s finished, wanting to give her some time to process the heavy confession. She sees the other woman swallow, but stay otherwise silent, and it’s unnerving in the best way to know that she’s managed to make Cat Grant speechless, simply by sharing her honest opinion about her.

And even though she doesn’t speak at all, the genuine, unfiltered tenderness in her eyes that Kara knows Cat is letting her see in its full entirety for the first time is overwhelming enough without words.

Kara steps closer and her stomach flips again, but she ignores it as she takes Cat’s hand, eyes flicking down to her lips of their own volition.

"Not here,” Cat whispers, but her desire shines through as well, and Kara can’t believe this is happening. She keeps staring at Cat’s lips and Cat smirks, licking them playfully as her tongue darts out.

“But I do promise that whenever I get out of here, that dinner we talked about is still on. And who knows...we might even find better things to do than just talk.”

Kara almost faints at the implication, but Cat squeezes her hand and leans in to say, “Your sister is back.” She still doesn’t let go of Kara’s hand though.

Alex steps back in with a tablet in hand without comment, not even when her eyes fall on the sudden proximity of the two women and Kara’s hand in Cat’s.

“The lab is analysing everything as we speak, the results should be in any minute,” Alex says, and Kara suspects it’s mostly to fill the somewhat awkward silence that’s fallen between the three of them.

It’s not like Kara didn’t know how she would react, in fact she didn’t tell Alex about her feeling for Cat for this very reason, but to be faced with her only sister’s profound lack of understanding cuts deeper than Kara could have imagined.

She would wish for things to be easier, for once, but then Cat catches her eye with a knowing look and Kara knows that she wouldn’t trade this for anything, no matter the difficulties.

The tablet in Alex’s hand signals an incoming message and they all seem to snap out of this weird trance as the older Danvers effortlessly slips into her medical persona, and starts rattling off the results of the tests.

“At first glance, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” Alex says and it should be reassuring, but Kara is still so tense, her breaths coming in even faster as she waits for a definite answer.

“Now just let me look at your blood cell count and then hopefully we can rule out any –“ she trails off, and it instantly puts Kara on alert, despite her own growing bodily discomfort. “Okay, that’s weird.”

“Alex, what is it?” Kara hisses impatiently, her sunny demeanour nowhere to be found.

“Her RBC count is way too high, it doesn’t make any sense,” Alex mutters under her breath, and Kara would admire her for keeping her cool, but now is absolutely not the time.

“Let me take a closer look here –“ she says as she zooms in on her tablet, but Kara is lost and she’s afraid and one glance at Cat confirms she’s not faring any better with the uncertainty.

“Wait a minute,” Alex exclaims and the tone of her voice makes Kara shiver. “Why would there be – _Oh my God!_ ”

And that’s when Kara realizes Alex is afraid. No, not afraid.

Terrified.

“ _Alex_.”

“Kara, you need to get out of here! NOW!”

And then everything happens at once.

Kara suddenly doubles over, clutching her middle as the numb, uncomfortable feeling in her stomach suddenly culminates in an unexpected burst of pain and it shoots through her abdomen. She doesn’t see Alex nod sharply at someone through the glass wall, but she hears the distant sound of Cat calling her name, however faintly, her voice coloured with panic and dread.

Kara can’t make herself look up or offer reassurance like she wants to, because she knows something is very wrong. Suddenly she is propelled out of the room by a force she instantly recognizes as not of this world, and the last thing she sees is Cat’s terrified expression as she looks down at her own hands while Kara clings to J’onn with all her might.

He’s supporting her weight with strong arms, floating them smoothly over the few feet into the small bathroom and Kara leans over the sink, heaving as a strong wave of nausea washes over her.

This is not right, Kara thinks, finding worried Martian eyes looking back at her in the mirror. They have no need for words as they both know there is only one substance that has the power to elicit this sort of a reaction from the alien hero.

 _Kryptonite_.


	5. i'm afraid of what you'll see right now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two heroines deal with the aftermath of what happened, and then some good old detective work takes place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaack! Forgive me for the delay, but I just couldn't find the time to write these past few months, no matter how much I wanted to. But now we're back on track with this little story, and I'm determined to see it through so if you're still with me, thank you and let's do this! X

“Tell me again,” Cat said with a sombre expression. Alex sighed, but didn’t argue as she yet again, launched into her explanation.

“So, from what I can tell you, it looks like your blood has been tempered with. At first I thought you simply had an abnormally elevated number of red blood cells which is likely responsible for your brief loss of consciousness before Kara brought you in.”

“How would that explain the,” Cat stopped to give a distasteful grimace, “ _fainting?”_

“An either significantly high or low RBC count can lead to fatigue and shortness of breath, because the number of these cells a person has affects how much oxygen our tissues receive,” Alex answered patiently. “Now, I’m happy to tell you all about hemoglobin and how oxygen is transported through the –“

“That’s alright, Agent Danvers, I believe you,” Cat sighed with a dismissive hand flick before focusing back on the issue at hand. “What does any of this have to do with Kara?”

“I…That’s the hard part. On closer look, I realized that what I had mistakenly identified as red blood cells were in fact particles of a completely different kind. I…had my suspicions, but the way Kara reacted to the continued exposure confirmed it.” Alex sighed before looking Cat in the eye and levelling her with a serious expression. “I trust you’ve heard of Kryptonite before.”

Cat could only nod and she felt her nails sinking into the inside of her palms as her hands involuntarily curled into fists at her sides and she swallowed hard before saying, “Yes.”

“Well, this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers yet,” Alex said with an apologetic expression that Cat would’ve found a little surprising if she wasn’t so busy trying not to freak out. “But it appears that you’ve somehow been injected with it, right into your bloodstream. The only reason I didn’t realize it sooner is because the particles were disguised as natural blood cells by a technology that is unlike anything I’m familiar with,” she said with a frown of dissatisfaction over the barely concealed expression of awe.

Cat Grant wasn’t one to miss the value behind any sort of new discovery, even if it had nothing to do with her own skills or interests, but her patience was understandably running out.

“What am I missing here? You’re telling me that this Kryptonite is in my blood and that’s what made me faint, but then –“ Cat threw her hands up in desperation, feeling like she was grasping at straws here, and she didn’t like it one bit.

“Kryptonite in itself isn’t dangerous to humans, so after your body regains its equilibrium you shouldn’t be feeling any different than you usually would, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Alex said, the doctor in her rushing to reassure the patient even in these most unnatural of circumstances.

“That’s not…,” Cat cleared her throat before flashing Alex a weak smile. “Thank you, Agent Danvers, but that’s not what concerns me at the moment.”

At Alex’s blank stare Cat quietly motioned to the door and in the direction Kara had disappeared to earlier. When she saw realization dawn on the other woman’s face Cat repeated her earlier question, her voice softer and much more vulnerable than she would usually allow another to witness. “What am I missing here?”

She waited as Kara’s sister looked at her with an unreadable expression before whatever she saw there compelled her to answer the question and finally put Cat out of her misery.

“Kryptonite is the only substance in the known universe that is lethal to Kryptonians.”

Cat couldn’t help the quiet gasp that left her when that last piece of information clicked into place. So much for the relief of finally being in the loop again.

“Bottom line, this was no accident, it was a calculated attack…and,” Alex studied her face carefully before adding, “you’re the weapon, Cat.”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the DEO, Kara was pacing relentlessly while J’onn sat patiently, waiting it out.

After Alex had figured out what was causing Supergirl’s physical distress, her mind immediately reached out to the Martian to let him know what was happening. J’onn acted quickly and pulled the other alien along until they’ve reached the far end of the underground facility.

“I just don’t understand,” Kara murmured, mostly to herself. “I mean I do…understand, I understand perfectly I just…who would _do_ this? And what do they hope to gain by it?”

“That is a good question. Once your sister has explained everything to Miss Grant we can start formulating a plan of attack, but for now,” J’onn sad, his kind eyes never leaving Kara for a second as he stepped closer to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright, Supergirl?”

“I…I’m not sure how I am. But I’m fine, physically if that’s what you mean.”

“For now. I want you to get checked out to be sure, but it seems physical proximity is the main factor, and that means the two of you will need to remain separated if Miss Grant is going to help us with the investigation. I’m sorry, Kara,” he added at the poorly concealed dejected expression on the hero’s face.

Supergirl’s head shot up and her eyes started flicking helplessly between calm, knowing Martian ones as she tried her best to save face. _Unsuccessfully_.

“You’re s– Why would you be sorry, it’s not like…we’re not…it’s not _like that_ ,” Kara stammered disgracefully as the embarrassment tinged her cheeks a deep crimson shade that was quickly approaching the colour of Rao.

“Maybe not yet,” J’onn said with a kind smile and in a tone that lacked any of the judgement that Kara had already received from her sister. “You forget I can read minds.”

“It’s easy to, especially because you don’t flaunt your power around, like I do with all of mine,” she shrugged, unashamed. “Did you read Cat?”

“I didn’t have to,” J’onn answered quietly, looking away, and giving Kara a chance to react to what he was saying without his curious gaze on her. “Her feelings are strong in a way that comes across even if I’m not looking, so to speak. Her feelings…for _you_ , that is. The rest she keeps under a tight lid, I noticed that the last time I was around her when,” he chuckled as he recalled that particular memory, “when Supergirl was out of commission.”

“What…what did she feel?” Kara asked timidly, not knowing if she should, but not being able to hold back either. She just wanted to know that Cat was at least okay.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” J’onn said with a knowing gaze that Kara felt right down to her soul. “She’s understandably worried, that much I can tell you.”

“I am too,” Kara said, nodding absently as her eyes fixated on a spot only she could see. “I just wish I could talk to her…tell her it’s going to be alright, even if I don’t actually know if it will be.”

“Look, Kara,” J’onn said, waiting until he had her attention. “Mind reading or not, even I can’t predict the future, but I do know that whatever outcome, your chances are always greater when you have people around who care about you. And you do. Your sister would walk through fire for you, anyone who has seen you two together knows that. You also have some amazing friends to count on, and you have me too,” he said with a rare smile that made Kara smile in return.

“And…whatever else anyone may think of Miss Grant, that woman has impeccable control over her inner workings, it’s admirable really,” J’onn added, and Kara could detect the beginnings of respect in his voice already. “But when it comes to you…all bets are off. I thought you’d want to know that.”

Kara closed her eyes as a wave of strong emotion washed over her too. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

She didn’t get to kiss Cat or hold her the way she’s wanted to do for so long, and now they couldn’t even be in the same room together without risking another breakdown from Kara.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

“Alex doesn’t approve,” Kara said with her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Is that really surprising?” J’onn asked with an unexpected gleam in his eye. It made her smile too, despite the circumstances.

“I guess not,” she said sniffling a little. “But it still hurts.”

“Give her time. She’ll come around. And in the meantime…I hope my support is an acceptable substitute.”

“Of course it is, thank you J’onn,” Kara said wiping her eyes as she pulled the Martian into a one-armed hug to convey just how grateful she was.

It was then that she heard Alex’s voice in her ear, and she pulled back to tell J’onn that the other room was ready for the video conference.

It was obviously only a temporary solution until they solved Cat and Kara’s little Kryptonite problem, but they figured it was better than nothing for the time being. Cat refused to leave as long as her help was needed here, and no one was very keen on experimenting with Kara’s endurance while the two of them were in the same room, so for now, this had to do.

After all, this threat wasn’t your average Fort Rozz escapee, that much was all too clear by now. They needed all the resources they could get to figure this one out.

 

* * *

 

“Alright, it’s up, thanks Winn,” Alex flashed a brief smile at him in thanks before sitting down in front of the screen and focusing her attention on her sister. “First things first, Kara, how are you feeling?”

Cat was standing behind her, tapping her fingers rhythmically against her sides in an attempt to deal with her rapidly approaching anxiety. That was a question she wanted to find out the answer to just as much as Kara’s sister did, but she willed herself to stay in the background for the time being.

“I’m alright, Alex. Really. Apparently the Kryptonite only affects me if I’m around Cat or at least in the same room with her,” she said and the woman in question didn’t miss the grimace on the hero’s face at the words. If Alex noticed it she didn’t comment. They had bigger fish to fry.

“Okay good. That’s good. I’d still like you to get checked out, but I’m glad the effects are only temporary. That means we can hopefully find a way to counteract it before it causes permanent damage,” she said.

“Any idea how we do that?” Kara asked impatiently, the frown between her eyebrows so incredibly pronounced at that moment as Cat has ever seen it and she felt an overwhelming desire to reach out and touch.

She clenched her hands into fists behind her back to temper herself, knowing it probably wasn’t the last time she would have to ignore that particular desire. It definitely wasn’t the first time either, but it somehow never got any easier.

“Not yet, I’m sorry Kara. I know this isn’t…ideal, but the good news is we know what the problem is. What we still need to figure out is who’s behind it and why. J’onn –“

“That’s um…” Kara suddenly interrupted. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to know that as much as you, but um…” she trailed off as she made eye contact with Cat over her sister’s head. “How are you feeling?”

Kara always looked at her with everything she felt, and the sheer need in her gaze at that moment was enough to warm Cat’s skin from the inside out. There was so much in that gaze, but Cat also knew it wasn’t the time nor the place. In the end she settled for a curt nod, while she let Alex explain the medical details to alleviate as much of Kara’s concerns as was possible in the current situation.

It wasn’t enough, but Cat wasn’t in the habit of asking people for things when she wasn’t absolutely assured of the outcome. So she swallowed hard and waited, because she simply didn’t feel she had the right to do anything else.

Luckily, Alex took the hint anyway, however reluctantly. “Alright, we’ll leave the two of you to it for now, J’onn and I have plenty to discuss anyway, right Director?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said with a squeeze to Kara’s shoulder and a look that told Cat the stoic Martian DEO director knew more than he let on, just as she expected. There was always more to these aliens than meets the eye, as Cat had learned.

With a wave from Alex, everyone else cleared the rooms and Cat and Kara were left alone at last, with nothing but a screen between them. Cat stepped forward and took Alex’s vacated spot in the chair to be as close to Kara as she possibly could given the circumstances, and Kara drew closer too on the other side.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was something they both needed, so they took it.

 

* * *

 

When Alex stepped back into the room, she had Maggie with her and as she watched the quick introduction happen on the other side Kara couldn’t help but feel at least a little relief at seeing her sister’s girlfriend. Even if one more person wasn’t all that much in the grand scheme of things, knowing they had Maggie on their side for whatever kind of threat this turned out to be was as reassuring as Kara could hope to feel right now.

“Hi Kara,” Maggie said after shaking Cat’s hand, sending a sympathetic smile Kara’s way. “We’re gonna figure this out okay?”

“Hey Mags,” Kara smiled back weakly. “I really, really hope so.”

The four women spent the next hour or so trying to figure out the logistics behind what was happening and what each new scenario meant in terms of how to proceed.

They’d established that according to Alex’s research, the particles must have been introduced into Cat’s system via something as non-threatening as her daily latte, as there were no obvious signs of a needle or anything surgical, which Kara sent a prayer of thanks to Rao for. That still left the question of who and why though.

J’onn slipped back into the room to keep Kara company a few times in-between handling DEO business, and even Winn came by to offer a compassionate smile and anything else he might do to help, all of which made Kara feel grateful, but unfortunately it still wasn’t enough to make the unsettling feeling she’s had about this whole thing disappear.

Not to mention another, equally distressing issue that Maggie decided to point out just then.

“Alright, so since we all agree that the target of this attack was in fact Supergirl, I think we may have another problem on our hands here.”

“What do you mean, babe?” Alex asked, the term of endearment slipping out so easily that Kara almost felt a pang of something akin to jealousy.

“I mean, the attacker must have known that Kara and Miss Grant here work closely together if they expected there to be any sort of connection between the Queen of All Media getting a little alien juice in her system and the hero of the city suddenly falling into bed,” Maggie explained matter-of-factly, completely oblivious to the blushing faces on both sides of the screen, let alone the why.

“Indeed, no connection whatsoever,” Alex replied dryly, and Kara was thankful she was still looking at Maggie, because she wasn’t sure she could take her sisters eyes on her at that moment.

“Alex, you’re not listening –“ Maggie interrupted, sounding rather impatient.

“Wait a minute you mean –“ Alex said at the same time, her demeanour changing instantly as she seemed to realize the problem her girlfriend had been referring to. “No!”

“ _Yes!”_

Kara looked at Cat for any sort of clue about what just happened, but only got one of the most impressive eye rolls she’s ever seen in her life in response, which was saying a lot, considering how long she’s been around Cat.

“Care to share with the rest of the class?” the CEO asked as she inspected her nails, playing at nonchalance and looking to all the world like it really didn’t matter to her either way.

When in fact Kara suspected that she wasn’t anywhere near about to accept her new role as someone who was seemingly constantly out of the loop. Not that she was alone with that part per se, and truth be told Kara didn’t like it any better than Cat did.

“Right, sorry,” Alex smirked at her girlfriend, looking anything but. “Maggie just pointed out that the attacker knows your real identity, Kar.”

“I’m sorry _what?”_ Cat cried in disbelief. It was exactly how Kara felt too.

“It’s the only way this move makes any sort of sense, I mean think about it. They must know you work together enough that your physical proximity would affect her…” Alex said, shaking her head a little, “…in the way they intended, I mean. Maybe they think Kara is still your assistant, or maybe they’ve been spying on you and determined that you fit the criteria for their grand design, whatever that was.“

“It really does make sense, because if they know her real identity, they also know that her sister is a trained agent and that would make anyone think twice about going after Alex the way they did with you,” Maggie added quietly, standing firm by Alex’s side.

“So I’m an easy target, is that it?” Cat asked bitterly.

“You’re a little more than that, Cat,” Kara spoke for the first time since the conversation began, drawing all eyes to herself, but she looked at the other blonde when she spoke. “And I think…that may be part of the reason why they chose you and not…anybody else.”

The air in the room felt charged as Kara refused to meet the eyes of either her sister, or those of the woman her enemies apparently deemed the most appropriate person to destroy her, because for the first time, she realized that they may have been completely right.

If there was anyone who was powerful enough to destroy the most powerful woman on Earth, of course it would be Cat Grant. But only because for all her powers and despite any sort of logical reasoning that sounded suspiciously like her sister talking, Kara never did find it in her to stay away. Not from Cat.

“I think my sister has a point,” Alex’s voice brought Kara out of her thoughts, but the dark look in her eyes did nothing to diffuse the tension and Kara knew now more than ever that she would have to make Alex _understand_ , because this was not working.

“Alright, so if we go with our latest theory,” Maggie decided to step in and Kara has never felt more grateful, “then we’re gonna need a comprehensive list of everyone who works at CatCo and could have been within ten feet of you, Miss Grant. ”

She knew there was a reason she liked Alex’s girlfriend. Especially because she suspected Maggie wasn’t necessarily in the loop about _quite everything_ that was going on, so it meant even more to Kara that she decided to intervene nonetheless.

“Lucky for you, I happen to know a very diligent CatCo employee who keeps track of all that stuff with the enthusiasm of a high school kid who has a giant crush on her teacher,” the detective added with a smug smirk in the hero’s direction and a gentle hip bump to her moping girlfriend, and Kara swore to Rao she’d just underestimated Maggie Sawyer for the very last time.

Especially because not a half hour later, Maggie and Alex returned from CatCo with that very list, albeit the credit for that went mostly to Kara’s work ethic, but even so.

“One of these things is not like the other,” Maggie smiled as she handed the paper over to Cat and Kara didn’t even have to look at her sister to know she was rolling her eyes at the reference. Unlike Kara, Alex’s never been a big fan of Sesame Street, or at least she wouldn’t admit to it. “Any of the names here ring any alarm bells?”

On the computer screen, Kara saw Cat casually hold out her hand for her reading glasses without a second thought, expecting it to magically appear as it usually did whenever Kara was near, before she must have realized that wasn’t happening and awkwardly drew her hand back.

“They’re in your top pocket,” Kara supplied helpfully from the other room and Cat sent a grateful smile to the fidgeting superhero as she retrieved her glasses from the pocket of her blazer that was lying on the back of the chair she was currently sitting on.

She put them on and silently skimmed through the impressive list, and having her back to them, completely missed the look that passed between Kara’s sister and her detective girlfriend. Kara saw it though, but she didn’t really know what to make of it so she decided not to dwell on it too much, for the time being.

“No, I don’t think so,” Cat finally answered, absent-mindedly. Then with a half-hearted snort she added, “although what kind of a name is _Stucomp_ , I mean really? Won’t last long in the field of journalism with that one, I guarantee you that.”

“Could we maybe dial down the snark, just this once?” Kara scolded her immediately, deciding not to dwell on the fact either that apparently she was now comfortable enough with her former boss to do things like that.

“No, wait a minute,” Alex whispered, after taking the list from Cat and looking it over herself. “You guys, it’s a bit more than a stupid name.”

Cat sent a pointed glare at Kara who didn’t need words to be able to hear the _I told you_ _so_ it was so clearly meant to convey, even from across the entire DEO, with only a computer screen connecting them, and rolled her eyes in response.

Cat chuckled to herself, but it didn’t last long as Kara saw her sister place a light, but firm hand on the older woman’s shoulder to get her attention and Kara couldn’t help the strange, foreboding feeling that began to take root in the deepest parts of her, seemingly out of the blue.

Kara felt herself lean in closer to the screen as she waited for Alex to say whatever she was about to say, as if being an inch closer could somehow help her feel more prepared than she actually felt.

“Jared C. Stucomp is an anagram,” Alex finished, her tone taking on a much darker quality that had shivers running down Kara’s spine.

“For _Project Cadmus_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good job on the guessing guys!


End file.
